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The following are just a few samples of the many recipes that incorporate maple syrup.

HONEY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons wheat germ
Pinch of cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 cup fresh peaches, sliced, or blueberries
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Warm honey and Vermont maple syrup

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in the wheat germ and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey and eggs. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are moistened and free of most lumps. Stir in the peaches or blueberries. Place a non-stick skillet or griddle over high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil onto the skillet. Spread it all over the griddle. Spoon a quarter of a cup of batter onto the skillet. Repeat with as many as you can fit on the skillet. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and set. Flip and finish cooking for 2 minutes. Place the cooked pancakes on a tray and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batter. Use more vegetable oil as needed. Serve the pancakes drizzled with warm honey on one side of dish, and Vermont maple syrup on the other. Yields 12 5-inch pancakes.

HOT MAPLE APPLE CIDER
6 cups apple cider
¼ cup maple syrup
1 orange peel cut into strips
1 lemon peel cut into strips
2 cinnamon sticks
spice bag & string
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries

Pour cider and syrup into large pot. Place spices and peels in center of a spice bag and tie up with a piece of string. Drop spice bundle into liquid and heat over moderate flame for about 10 minutes. Remove spice bag and discard. Ladle maple cider into mugs and serve warm. Optional: garnish with a stick of cinnamon for stirring, float thin slice of lemon or orange or whipped cream on top.

MAPLE BAKED BEANS
4 cups dry navy beans
1 lb. salt pork or ham
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup maple sugar
3 qts. water
1 large onion
1 tbsp. salt
½ cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 apples, cored & unpeeled

Rinse beans, cover with cold water, soak overnight. Pour beans and water into large pot. Add baking soda and more water to cover beans. Bring to a boil uncovered and boil until some of the skins fall off when you blow on them. Line a bean pot with thin slices of the pork or ham, pour in beans and water. Roll onion in dry mustard completely and bury it in middle of the beans. Pour maple syrup and salt over top. Bake at 3250 for 4 to 5 hours. At the start of the last hour, place whole apples on top as close together as possible. Cream maple sugar and butter together and spread over top of apples.

MAPLE APPLE PIE
5 cups sliced apples
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
dash of salt and nutmeg
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup sour cream
pastry for double crust 9" pie

Combine dry ingredients and sprinkle 2 tbsp. of it over bottom of piecrust. Add the rest to apples, along with maple and sour cream and stir. Turn into pie and cover with lattice top. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes longer or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and cool.

MAPLE BALSAMIC VINEGAR DRESSING
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cilantro
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Mix together the first six ingredients. Whisk in oil until dressing is emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate to store for several weeks.

MAPLE BARS
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup soft shortening (I use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup shortening)
1 cup nutmeats
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square pan, 8 x 8 inches. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm. Makes Approx. 16 Bars.

MAPLE BREAD PUDDING
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 slices bread without crusts
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 T. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nutmeats or raisins
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Pour maple syrup in top of double boiler. Butter each slice of bread and cube. Add to syrup. Add nuts or raisins and lemon juice. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and vanilla and pour over bread mixture. Do not stir. Set over gently boiling water. Cook 1 hour. This makes its own sauce. Spoon it over each serving. Serves 4 to 6.

MAPLE BROILED SCALLOPS OR CHICKEN BREASTS
4-6 sea scallops per person, or 1" pieces of chicken breast
1/3 strips of bacon, 1 per scallop or chicken piece
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ tsp. Horseradish

Mix syrup and horseradish. Wrap each scallop or chicken piece with 1/3 strip bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on broiler pan, brush with syrup, and broil 3 minutes. Turn, brush, and broil 2-3 minutes more, until bacon is crisp. Serve hot.

MAPLE BUTTER FROSTING
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 cups confectioners sugar
4-6 T. maple syrup

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar, adding maple syrup until light and spreadable. Add nuts and frost cake.

MAPLE GLAZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, quartered, cut into half-inch slices
4 tbsp. maple syrup
¼ tsp. ground mace
4 tbsp. dark rum
2/3 cup water

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Reserving the cooking liquid, transfer the squash with a slotted spoon to a heated serving dish. Boil the cooking liquid until it is thickened, then pour it over the squash. Serves 4.

MAPLE JELLY
½ gallon Grade A Medium Amber pure maple syrup
3 cups cold water
2 teaspoons Genugel (pectin does not work with maple syrup). Genugel is available from maple syrup equipment suppliers.

Whisk the Genugel into the cold water first, then add to syrup. Make sure the pot is at least 3 times the size of the liquid, as it foams up during boil. Boil all ingredients to 217.5 degrees F. The next is the tricky part …the objective is to make clear jelly in the jar. Any infusion of air through stirring or filling of the jars will put air bubbles into the jelly. It will still taste fine, but won't look as good. It helps greatly to keep a low flame under the jelly while bottling, as this stuff gels really fast and heat keeps it liquid longer. First, skim off the surface foam as minimally as possible. A lot of waste can occur at this point. Second, have a cup or ladle large enough to fill each clean jar with ONE pour. If you have to go back and add more to fill the jar, you will have air bubbles and layering. Cap the filled jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Depending on how good you are at skimming, a half-gallon of syrup will net you five to seven 8-ounce jars of maple jelly. Yield is low and many people don't think it's worth the syrup or the trouble.

MAPLE MUSTARD SALMON
Salmon fillets for four
2/3 cup melted butter
½ tbsp. dried dill
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup Dijon style mustard

Blend ingredients over low heat until melted together. Grill or broil salmon, basting and turning until flaky and done.

MAPLE NUT FUDGE
2 cups maple pure syrup
½ cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon butter
Candy thermometer
Tall sauce pan

Boil syrup and butter to 236 degrees. Remove from heat and place in a pan of cold water. Stir vigorously until color begins to change, then add nutmeats. Pour into well-buttered 8" or 10" square pan. Cut into squares while still warm.

MAPLE NUT FUDGE
2 cups sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon butter
Candy thermometer
Tall sauce pan

Boil syrup, sugar, milk and corn syrup, stirring constantly until 238 degrees. Remove from heat. Cool to 110 degrees. Add vanilla, nuts and butter. Beat until thick and creamy. Pour into 8" pan and cut into squares when chilled.

MAPLE OATMEAL DROPS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup maple syrup (dark)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup dairy sour cream
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (quick)

In a small bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, maple syrup and sour cream. Beat well. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats. Drop by spoonful on greased pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

MAPLE SPONGE CAKE
1 cup maple syrup
6 eggs
1 cup flour
(1 tsp. vanilla-optional)

Separate eggs. Put whites in large bowl, yolks in medium bowl. Sift flour several times, put in small bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside. Beat yolks until light, add syrup (and vanilla if desired). Beat again to mix well. Pour yolk syrup mixture into whites and fold gently with wire whip until blended. Gradually add flour 1 tbsp. at a time while folding mixture. When blended, pour in large tube pan that is lightly greased with butter and dusted with flour. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour. Cool on rack, then remove cake from pan. This cake is especially good with no frosting but berries and whipped cream. Serves 10-12.

MAPLE SYRUP NUT CAKE
2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts

Sift dry ingredients together into bowl. Add syrup, shortening and milk; beat 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat 2 minutes. Add chopped nuts and mix well. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9" pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Frost. Serves 18.

MAPLE WALNUT CREAM PIE
2 cups milk
dash of salt
2 cups maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 well-beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 T. flour
1/2 cup yogurt or whipped cream

Combine milk, syrup, egg yolks, flour in double boiler. Cook slowly over simmering water-about 1/2 hour. Add dash of salt and vanilla. Pour in baked pie shell. Sprinkle with half the nuts. Chill. Shortly before serving spread on yogurt or whipped cream and sprinkle on the rest of the nuts. Serves 8.

MAPLE WALNUT PIE
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water (use fresh maple sap in season)
3/4 cup walnut halves or pieces
Pastry for one 8" or 9" pie shell

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown. Add syrup and water and cook, whisking constantly until thickened. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add nuts. Pour warm filling into prepared pit shell. Bake at 350 degrees on center rack of oven 35 to 4O minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack. May be decorated with nuts, pastry maple leaves, etc. Best if garnished with whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

OLDTIME MAPLE GINGERBREAD
2 cups flour
1 egg beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Combine and sift dry ingredients. Mix maple syrup with beaten egg and add the sour cream. Combine the mixtures and bake in moderate oven for about 40 minutes. Serve with warm maple hard sauce or whipped cream. Serves 8.

ORANGE MAPLE GLAZED WINGS
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 oranges, seeded, peeled, and sectioned
1 tsp. cinnamon
20 chicken wings

Process first four ingredients to make a coarse puree. Put wings and puree in a gallon sized baggie and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally. Grill and baste with marinade until done, avoid scorching.

VERMONT MAPLE CHICKEN
1 chicken, 2 ½ - 3 pounds, cut up or equivalent chicken breasts
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup Pure Vermont maple syrup
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Dash of pepper (optional)
¼ cup sliced, chopped or slivered almonds
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow buttered baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and pour evenly over chick. Bake uncovered 50-60 minutes. Baste occasionally. Yields 4-6

For nutritional information on maple sap and syrup, visit the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association at http://www.massmaple.org/nutrition.html.

Vermont Fancy
Vermont Fancy has a light amber color and a delicate maple bouquet. Fancy grade has a mild flavor and is excellent on ice cream, desserts or on food which permits its subtle flavor to be appreciated. This is the preferred grade for candies and other maple specialties.

Grade A Medium Amber
Grade A Medium Amber has a medium amber color and a distinct maple bouquet. It has the characteristic maple flavor and is the most popular for all-around use.

Grade A Dark Amber
Grade A Dark Amber has a dark amber color and a pronounced maple bouquet. It has a heartier maple flavor and is also popular for table and all-around use.

Vermont Grade B
Vermont Grade B is the darkest table grade syrup and has a robust maple bouquet. It is an excellent choice for cooking.